Tesco has been criticised for selling beer for less than 70p a pint - days after its chief executive backed calls for an end to cheap drinks promotions.

The country's biggest supermarket has cut prices on alcohol in the run-up to the World Cup with Carlsberg selling at 69p a pint, a quarter of the typical price in a pub.

But the company's chief executive, Sir Terry Leahy, last week made moves to stop the sale of cheap alcohol, acknowledging that excessive drinking and the resulting anti-social behaviour is a growing problem.

Hypocritical? Tesco are selling beer at 69p a pint - even though the company's boss Sir Terry Leahy acknowledged that excessive drinking and the resulting anti-social behaviour is a growing problem

Sir Terry publicly backed Government plans to introduce laws preventing shops from selling beers, wines and spirits for less than cost price - a move designed to end the widespread availability of cheap booze on the High Street.

However, Tesco has continued to offer cut-price alcohol deals - leaving the chain open to accusations of hypocrisy.

Writing last week, Sir Terry said: 'We welcome the new Government's commitment to act on below-cost selling of alcohol and I pledge that we will support Government-led action to make this happen across the UK. We will also support any future discussions on a minimum price for alcohol.'

Sir Terry said the action must be government-led, not because retailers were 'unwilling to play their part in tackling this important issue', but because competition laws prevent them from discussing prices.

The supermarket chain is offering two cases of some beers and ciders for just £16. Under the deal, shoppers can buy 30 cans of Carlsberg - the equivalent of more than 23 pints at 69p each.

They can also purchase 36 bottles of high strength Stella Artois lager, costing less than 89p per pint. Doctors-police and politicians have attacked supermarkets for selling alcohol below cost price, while pubs claim the tactic is driving them out of business.

During the 2006 World Cup, a Competition Commission report found the four biggest supermarket chains had sold £112.7million of beer, wines and spirits below cost, with Tesco being by far the worst culprit.

Nick Bish, of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, which represents the owners of 9,000 pubs and bars, said: 'It is hypocritical to call for an end to below cost deals when you are still offering them.

Radical: Tesco's Sir Terry Leahy is the first supermarket boss to publicly support minimum pricing of alcohol

'We would like to see Tesco put their money where their mouth is and actually stop selling alcohol as a loss leader.

'Beer should not be cheaper than water or milk.'

Professor Ian Gilmore, of the Royal College of Physicians and and chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK has also described supermarket deals as 'one of the main factors feeding the current binge-drinking epidemic'.

'I would like to see Tesco follow up on their words with actions,' he added.

Tesco denied it was hypocritical, saying an end to cut price deals would only work if imposed on all supermarkets.

'We have said we will support an end to below cost selling and if appropriate a minimum unit price to help tackle the problem of binge- drinking,' a spokesman said.

'If we were to raise the price of alcohol unilaterally it would have no impact on binge drinking because people would just buy alcohol elsewhere.'

Tesco first called for a ban on cheap alcohol promotions two years ago, but refused to act alone. Its rivals, including Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's, also continue to sell heavily discounted alcohol.